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Kris wakes up the sound of their brother's alarm.
They roll over, blinking blearily at the foggy sunlight trying valiantly to break through the curtains but not quiet succeeding, gathering instead in white-gold pools on the faded wood floors. A few feet away Asriel makes a sleepy bleating noise and rolls over. The alarm continues to beep and after a few moments a white furred paw waves around in the air as Asriel pats around for the alarm. It's out of reach.
Muffled giggles fill the air.
Asriel's head pops out of the covers to squint at them. The smile that breaks over his face is like a sunrise; the only one Kris doesn't mind seeing. A smile so wide his eyes scrunch up, bright and warm.
"Good morning, Kris!" he says.
They burrow back into their covers, pulling the blankets up so only their face is visible. Asriel can tell they're smiling anyway but it's the principle of the thing. He gives the alarm a quick smack and the beeping shuts off. Sweet silence reigns through the room before Asriel takes in a big breath and drawls.
"Goood morning, Kris!"
They make a low growling noise and curl deeper into their blankets. Asriel huffs out a laugh and rolls out of bed. He shuffles over to the curtains and flings them open. Sunlight pours into the room, giving his fur a shining glow. Kris thinks of angels for a single abstract moment before Asriel ruins it, throwing himself on them with a horrible cackle.
The breath rushes out of their lungs and they make a loud protesting noise, trying to wiggle their way out while Asriel digs his paws into their sides. The laughter bubbles up from their chest and bursts out of them in gasping giggles and half snorts.
"Goooooood morning, Kris!" Asriel sing-songs.
Kris tries to sputter out a response, but it turns into laughter halfway through their mouth. Asriel shakes his head, grin stretching across his face and eyes warm. He's laughing through his smile too and it makes something warm bloom in Kris's chest.
"C'mon Kris," he says. "You have to say it back, it's the rules!"
They try to glare at him through their hair but it's ineffective. The covers they've finally gathered in their hands however, are not. Kris surges up, blankets in hand and manages to topple Asriel from his seat of power. The blankets go over his head and they scramble back while he shrieks and tries to escape. By the time he fights his way out they're halfway across the room, wide awake and hiding a smile under one hand.
Asriel rises up, blankets thrown over his head and back like a cape. The effect is somewhat ruined when he leaps forward and they get stuck on his horns, dragging him back on the bed with a squeaky bleat. Kris pumps one fist in the air, the other trying to stem the giggles coming from their mouth in a constant stream.
It's way too early for this but they can't find it in themself to care.
Not when Asriel slowly stands up, blankets wrapped around his shoulders this time, and gives them a solemn look. The smile is still twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"Kris," he says, low and serious. "You leave me no other choice."
They flip their hair of their face with all the drama they can muster and fall into a crouch, as their role demands. Asriel raises a paw and points at them.
"Victory…" says Asriel, curling the blankets around him like armor. "Belongs to the most persevering…"
Kris sticks their tongue at him. History class might be giving him new material, but they won't be intimidated by a few fancy words. Asriel charges. They meet him with a pillow snatched from his bed and they fall together in the middle of the room with a thump. Pillows fly. Blankets are tangled together. Kris has got one of Asriel's fluffy ears in their hand and he has, for some reason, captured their nose and is somehow holding it hostage. The slow sound of the door creaking open echoes through the room and they go still.
It's Dad.
For a moment, he stares at them both with startled eyes. The mess of blankets and pillows and the way they both look wild and ruffled, hair and fur sticking up, the marks of a great battle clear on them and the surrounding area. And then he plants his hands on his hips and surveys the scene with steadily rising eyebrows and a twitching smile hidden behind his beard. He waits.
"Morning, dad!" chirps Asriel, still holding on to their nose. "It's a beautiful day!"
Kris makes a garbled, honking noise that can only be interpreted as disagreement.
"Good morning children," drawls Asgore. "I see you are both wide awake."
Kris waves their free hand at him and takes pride in the way the smile spreads further across his face despite his attempts at looking stern.
"I suppose you two are ready to take on the day then?"
Another honking disagreement.
"Yep!" says Asriel, the traitor. "We'll get ready soon."
"Hmm," comes the reply, a low rumbling hum as Dad's eyes take on a mischievous light. "I'm sure you will."
Kris know what's coming even before Asriel does and they turn themselves limp and flop over. Asriel flails as he catches their weight and loses his balance. In a flurry of movement, the two of them are swept off the floor, blankets and all. Dad's booming laughter fills the air and Kris grins, leaning against him for a moment. He gives them a warm nuzzle and a very soft squeeze before setting them down carefully. With Asriel still wrapped up in his arms, Dad sends them a conspiratory wink and Kris responds with a salute before scrambling off.
Asriel's betrayed 'hey!' follows them out and they snicker under their breath.
They rush through brushing their teeth and skid past Asriel on his way towards the bathroom. Challenge crackles in the air. They get dressed faster than they ever have before, putting their sweater on last. It's their favorite one, green and buttercup yellow, still a little bit too big with sleeves long enough to hide their hands in. Asriel rushes back in just as they're leaving, and they give him their biggest smile. It's too late for him now. He huffs and shoos them out.
Victory tastes like golden pancakes, fluffy and drowned in maple syrup. Dad hums as he flips through the newspaper, a steaming cup of tea at his side. Occasionally he'll look up at the both of them, eyes going honey soft each time. Kris leans into him for a moment when they get up to carry to their plate into the sink and he kisses the top of their head. Asriel gives him a hug as they're leaving the house and the return hug lifts him off the ground.
"See you later dad," he says. And then he turns to Kris, hopping around in the background to get their shoes on. "C'mon Kris, we're gonna be late."
He reaches for their hand and pulls them out. Dad waves to them both as they walk out the door and Kris waves back, already slumping into Asriel's side. They make it a few steps more before he turns around and grins at them.
"Alright c'mon."
They clamber onto his back and he holds them up easily. Their head falls comfortably onto his shoulder and he begins to walk, slow and steady. It's still quiet in the neighborhood and they both drink it in, the lazy breeze rustling the leaves, the dappled shadows under the trees, the clear morning air. The sun sinks warmth into their bones but it doesn't measure up to the warmth that fills both of their chests like its own kind of sunlight. This is their element, a small shared moment just like all their other ones, but no less special because of its familiarity. If anything it's more. Better. They've done it a thousand times and they'll do it a thousand more and it'll still be theirs.
"Hey Kris," says Asriel, voice low and quiet; soft. "Good morning."
They press their cheek against his shoulder and swing their legs a little, loose-limbed and comfortable.
"G'morning," they whisper.
They can feel his smile even with their eyes closed. It's warmer than sunshine.
It always is.